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The Office of Personnel Management sent approximately 300 semifinalists in the Presidential Management Fellows program two contradictory e-mail messages — one saying they were not finalists and one saying they were, Federal Times reports.

An administrative error caused the automated notification system to send incorrect responses to about a quarter of the semifinalists, according to a statement by Angela Bailey, OPM's associate director of employee services. The program office caught the error the next day and sent a new message to the 300 applicants who had incorrectly been told they were finalists, according to Federal Times.

The program awards two-year paid fellowships at federal agencies to students with advanced degrees. At the end of two years, fellows can become full-time employees.

President Barack Obama plans to nominate Katrina McFarland to be assistant secretary of Defense for acquisition, according to a White House press release.

McFarland has been performing the assistant secretary’s duties since October 2011 while serving as president of Defense Acquisition University. She has also held procurement and acquisition positions at the Missile Defense Agency and Marine Corps Systems Command, among others.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition provides oversight and policy direction for major defense acquisition programs and for space and intelligence acquisitions. The office also oversees Defense Acquisition University and the Defense Contract Management Agency.

The Aerospace Industries Association has hired a new vice president of acquisition policy from the House Appropriations Committee support staff.

William Greenwalt previously served as the deputy director for the Surveys and Investigations staff, which provides support for the committee's oversight activities. His previous government procurement experience includes serving as an advisor for the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and as a professional staff member for the Senate Armed Services and Senate Governmental Affairs Committees. He also worked at Lockheed Martin as director of federal acquisition policy from 2009 to 2011.

"Bill has tremendous experience in both government and industry,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “At a time when our industry is facing a major transition, Bill will be instrumental in helping us navigate some tough challenges."

AIA represents manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military and business aircraft, equipment, services and information technology.

Air Force Service Acquisition Executive David Van Buren will step down as the top weapons acquisition official in March and return to private industry, reports Defense News.

Van Burenhas been performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and serving as the Principal Deputy for Acquisition since April 2009. He directed $70 billion in annual investments, including major programs like the KC-46A Tanker and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, as well as information technology, cyber, command and control and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

No replacement has been named, according to Defense News, nor is there mention of where Van Buren will be taking a new position. Van Buren previously worked at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Northrop Corporation, Tecstar Corporation, and Raytheon Microelectronics.

Gen. Lloyd J. Austin was sworn in as the Army's 33rd vice chief of staff at a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall on Jan. 31.

"Lloyd Austin is, as he always has been, a full-spectrum leader," Secretary of the Army John McHugh said, according to thePentagram Newspaper. "[He is] a leader that at every level of command has demonstrated to his troops the right way to lead, the right way to live as a soldier."

Austin served as the last commanding general of United States Forces in Iraq and leader of Operation New Dawn. He replaces Gen. Peter Chiarelli who retired from the Army after 40 years.